Kathys Stuff

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

2010-02-06T05:52:00.001-08:00

February 6, 2010

The house is such a pig sty!

2010-01-16T19:53:00.000-08:00

Here piggy piggy piggy. Here piggy piggy piggy. Has any one seen my piggy.

What I have been doing these past couple of months

2010-01-13T18:21:00.001-08:00

I have not posted in a long time. So I decided to post a few photos.

These are in no specific order. Just think of it as looking through a messed up photo album.

Fun at "Steam town"

Pillow Cases for charity

Now you see them.

Now you don't!

Swapping buttons with the Farmgirls

quilt chicks friendship block

Block swap with 9 patcher yahoo group

Merry Christmas

Halloween/Autumn swaps..

2009-10-02T06:53:00.000-07:00

I participated in an apron swap with the MJFGs. This was a Halloween/Autumn theme. This is the one I made for my partner. It is two sided. (I like that idea) Not only do you get a choice of what print you want to show, but the double fabric gives you a little more protection from the heat of cooking.

This is the only photo I can find. It only gives you an idea of the fabric used. Autumn leaves on one side and a nice yellow gold fabric on the other. To make it more Halloween-e, I made a lacy apron with a metallic orange pumpkin print. It can be worn on top of the other apron or alone for a little bit of a spicy look.....

I did another swap with another group. I used some of the same fabric as above. Its basically the same apron pattern too. I just changed the neck tie to a belt loop.

This side is Autumn leaves with very large pockets. I added a few large buttons. (they can be removed with a simple snip of the threads)

The other side has a farm animal print on it. I thought it was kind of cute. I added a little crochet lace to the top of the three very large pockets.

And because I had some fabric left over, I made a few hot pads or pot holders. I hope my partner will be happy with her apron and hot pads.

Scare Crow doll swap at MJFG

2009-09-13T12:06:00.000-07:00

This is my first ever fabric doll. It was so much fun making, I think I will be making more.

Here is the pattern all cut out and ready to be sewn.

Most of the body is together. I need to stuff the legs and arm.

She is all together. And of course, she has to have under garments.

Here are the pants and shirt I made.

Here she is in the dress I made. I used the undershirt as an apron.

I made a simple mask to cover her face. See, now she is a scare crow!!

A few more swaps...

2009-07-10T17:48:00.000-07:00

Here are a few swaps I have finished with in the last 6 months. Sorry, but I just have not had the time to post anything.

This is from a pink charm swap I hosted. It has 100 6.5 inch charms. I need to add a boarder, backing and binding. I will use buttons and DMC floss to "tie" quilt this one. I have never done it this way before. But I think it will look nice.

I am going to host another charm swap. Or maybe two. I want to make sure I am going to have enough time to devote to the swap.

I joined my first ever yo-yo swap. I am not much into these yo-yo-s. Might use them as decorations or maybe I will just give them to one of the ladies in the swap. They were very easy and fast to make.

Here is my spring clothes pins. These are a fun little item to make. I have a gas dryer and no clothes line. But still, they are a fun craft project. They work nice as chip bag clips. And I decorate my small holiday tree with them.

I think that's about it. I have been swapping quilt blocks with a very small group of ladies.

More swaps photo to come soon......

Annual Motorcycle Trip......with out our bikes

2009-06-15T13:08:00.000-07:00

June 12th we set out on our annual bike/camping trip. Normally we ride our motorcycles the 180 - 200 mile trip to Spring Grove PA. But this year our bikes were not in working order. So we packed up the pick-up truck and drove out.
The nice thing about driving is that we were able to bring a cooler, chairs and canopy.
The camp ground is the home of the White Rose Motorcycle Club.

(photo copied from club page/site)

To most they are known for is hosting bike hill climbs. Its crazy.

(photo copied from club page/site)

These guys race their motorcycles straight up the side of a mountain.

Here are some photos from the top of the mountain.

The last few heavy rain storms flooded and eroded the race path. It is no longer a straight line up. Now it curves a bit.

On my walk back down the trail I took these photos. It was such a beautiful day.

On the other side of the muddy pond was a farm. Check out the old trucks just rotting away in the field.

A few more photos...

As I am entering the camp ground again.

And here is our site!!!

And of course, it would not be a trip with out a photo of a train. You will have to look real close, but there is a train that passes by. Just had to take a photo.

Although we did not ride our motorcycles this year, It was still a nice time.

Crabby, Cranky and just plain tired

2009-06-01T15:54:00.000-07:00

These last few months have been a little hard on me. Lots of worrying and wondering what the next day will bring. Will I lose my job? Will Jeff find a job? Will our health say good? Will something go wrong and rejection become an issue?
I think I have more gray in my hair then before. First I thought it was just becoming lighter because of the sun. NOT.....
I try and keep a happy face. Keep up-bet and motivated. But, that's just the outside. I try to keep busy with my sewing and crafting. But that sometimes does not work.
I just want to apologize to anyone that I may have offended or ticked off.

Cops and Rodders Show

2009-04-29T17:33:00.000-07:00

Well the 19Th was our first car show of the year. And it was a big one. If I had to guess, I would say there were almost 400 cars.
But like with most old cars, there is almost always a brake-down.
We all, Cougar Club of NJ and PA met up at the McDonald so we could all drive into the show together.
As we were getting ready to go, one of the guys, Don, could not start his car. Yes the starter was shot. But, with all good gear-head, old car fanatics, someone always has a spare part. It was my husband this time. He just happened to have a starter he rebuilt a few years ago in the garage.
So a short trip back home and he picked up the tools needed. A good jack, and jack stands he was ready to handle the task.
I guess it took about an hour to fix.
Its nice knowing that if something goes wrong, one of the other club members will jump right in to help.

Don, standing, will have his starter rebuilt. I believe it is the original starter.

Quilt give-away

2009-03-21T17:28:00.000-07:00

I would like to give this quilt to a child in need. "In need" does not necessarily mean they are underprivileged. "In need" could be a child that deserves something special to cheer them up. They could be sick. Recently lost a parent or loved one.
Please leave me a comment explaining why this child needs my quilt. Do not leave their name. On April 11Th I will choose a comment. I will then contact you for more information. Such as a name and address that I can ship it to. They could receive it in time for Easter Sunday. (correction!!! Will receive it week after Easter Sunday)

Thank you!

Think Spring and Spring Tea Cozy Swap items

2009-03-15T04:57:00.000-07:00

Here is the Tea Cozy I made for the Spring Tea Cozy swap.

Below is the pin cushion and pin keep I made for my partner in the Think Spring Swap.

The Farm Chicks Giveaway

2009-03-04T17:07:00.000-08:00

You just HAVE to enter this fun, surprise give-away. It is so EXCITING!
great!
click here

And even if you don't wish to enter this give-away, check out their blog. It is a

Apron, St. Patricks and Frilly Dilly bag Swap at MJFG

2009-02-28T05:01:00.000-08:00

Here is the Apron I made. It is actually lined. I am pretty satisfied with the results. But I did make the ties a little long. Please excuse my messy laundry/sewing room.

And here is the little extra that goes along.

For the St. Patricks swap I made everyone a cell phone purse. I used some left over fabric that I had used to make the green apron for my neighbor at Christmas. The purse has a long strap the you could either hook on to your purse or around your belt. I forgot to take a photo before I sent them out.
But here is one of the gifts I received.

Crochet dish cloth. Isn't it nice? I love the green!

And lastly, here is my Frilly Dilly purse.

It looks a lot better in person. The first one I made did not work out because I used a heavy home decor fabric. The frills just would not frill.... So now it is my non Frilly bag.

I have been a busy bee crafting these days...

2009-02-01T05:40:00.001-08:00

I have been busy crafting. I made a bunch of Valentine cards a few weeks ago. But look at my sewing table. It looks more like a junk table. I need a craft table.

I think this is the worst it has ever looked. I have my sewing machines on top of each other. That alone is a no no.

I did clean up that mess and I did finish up on all my projects that I am swapping with my MJFG friends.
I can't tell you who they are for, but these are the items I made.

Our trip to NY and the bike show

2009-02-01T05:21:00.000-08:00

We went to the bike show a few weeks ago. I finally got to posting a few photos.

It was so cold that day we wanted to take a taxi. But, we took a limo. The driver came to the taxi stop and told us "$20.00 for all four". We took it. That was the fastest ride I ever had in a NY taxi/Limo.

Jennifer on a sports bike.

Could be a new FJ Yamaha.

I think this is a BMW.

Another Yamaha

Outside the convention center as we are walking back to the train.

Valentine clothespin Swap

2009-01-01T18:05:00.000-08:00

I have finished my clothespins. I will be mailing them off tomorrow.

I am on track with this swap. Now to start on the card and gift swap.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-31T20:33:00.000-08:00

Well here is our family photo for 2008. Note how some of us are behind the couch.

A few more things I made

2008-12-31T20:24:00.000-08:00

Here are the Christmas or Winter clothes pins I made for our swap.
I am working on some Valentine clothes pins. When they are finished I will post a photo.

Here is an apron I made on Friday 12/26. I made it for my neighbor. I hope she liked it. I still have a good amount of fabric left. I am ging to make a tea cozy and placemat with it.

Received some packages in the mail this afternoon

2008-12-22T15:41:00.001-08:00

I received two packages from two different swaps with my MJFG Friends.
First is my clothes pin swap. This was a cool swap. Never did it before. But I am doing it again for February.

Next was a swap I did for Bee items. In this swap you were to make up a package of items with bees. Thank you very much Vicky! love it!!

Busy Weekend

2008-12-21T17:49:00.000-08:00

Well I have been a little busy this weekend.
First I did all my Christmas shopping. And yes, I am finished!!
Then I decided to make a few gifts.
My first item was an apron for my Mother-In-Law. This was a kit I purchased at JoAnn Fabric. At first I didn't think that it was going to turn out any good. But, it looks ok to me.

Next, I made a stocking for a friends daughter. I first seen it on MJFG site. One of the ladies made it and said it was from a pattern. So....I Googled it and found it. It was simple to make.

Then I decided to make a shirt and bag for another friend at work. I found this fabric a year ago and finally got to making the shirt. I did a darn good job on it too. I am very happy with it. The bag is just a simple carry all. With one zipper inner pocket and a key clip. I think she will like it.

Now, I was not the only one busy this weekend. Jeff was working on his train layout. I know I have not posted many photos lately. The things he is doing do not show in photos. Well anyway, he made this control board. He will wire it all up next week. (or so he says)

So thats about it for this weekend.
Christmas is only 4 days away! Think snow. Think snow.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T19:28:00.001-07:00

It took me about a month and a half to make my daughters costume. Here are a few photos just before she went out this evening.

Things I found in the SuperMarket

2008-10-31T19:16:00.001-07:00

As all of us do, I went shopping last week. Here are a few items I found.

Pigs are my favorite.

My daughter loves frogs.

Who in the world thought of this?? Is this juice for fat children??

2008 Bits and Pieces ASG annual meeting

2008-10-12T12:04:00.000-07:00

I attended my first ASG annual meeting, election and luncheon yesterday, 10/11/2008. It was nice meeting ladies from different area. I sat with a group of ladies form Delaware. What a nice group. Very friendly.

At the meeting we had guest speaker Jerri McKee of Moonlight Designs.
Here is one of her jackets that I had made. It is a wearable art sweat shirt pattern.
Check out her web site www.moonlightdesihnquilts.com

How Does Your Garden Grow?

2008-08-14T17:58:00.000-07:00

Although I live in the "Garden State" this is what my garden looks like.

We have picked about a dozen tomatoes and 6 or 7 cucumbers. We are still waiting on the peppers.

We planted a few Sunflowers next to the back door. I didn't think they would grow because the plot is so small and the soil is rocky and clay-like.

But a funny thing happened the other day. I was looking up at the buds and noticed that one was missing. I later found out that the squirrels are climbing up the plants and eating my sunflowers. Well just those sneaky squirrels wait till fall rolls around and I don't throw any peanuts on my deck for them. Give the fresh roasted nuts and they think they can have anything.

10 1/2" Pumpkin Blocks

2008-08-07T17:37:00.000-07:00

My block with out the leaf,

My block with the leaf

You can never have two many purses

2008-06-14T14:34:00.000-07:00

When I want a quick and easy project to do I make purses. All of these took less then 2 hours to construct. And yes I do use them. I think they are fun and fashionable?? OK maybe not fashionable but they are fun and functional.
This purse is actually reversible. Oh and washable! Cool

This purse is made with a perfect square of fabric. Well actually two squares of fabric and batting. Very similar to making a small baby blanket.

Could you have guessed that this was made from two dish towels. I got them at the dollar store. The bamboo handles were on clearance at Wally-world. Oh, I made a small cell phone case too. We must be coordinated.

Ten different fabrics were used to make this bag. And yes it is a bag. Rather large and roomy. It even has a pocket inside made with roaster fabric.

Quilt Tops have been completed

2008-06-14T12:30:00.000-07:00

Well its summer! And my quilts are competed! I think it was February when I first posted the finished tops. Now they are done. Yea!

I have been working on these quilt tops for some time now. I had them sent out for quilting. Terri P of "Piecin' Love" did a wonderful job. And she was quick too. If you would like more information on her here is her web site address : http://www.piecinlove.com/ I am sure she will do a fantastic job on your tops too.

Here is my "fun and funky" with some 9 patch and charms. I just finished the binding on this quilt. Both quilts were made with blocks from swaps I was in. The top photo is the back to "fun and funky". That was a great swap. I really liked making and receiving these blocks.

Here is my "cyber friends" quilt top. I used purchased binding for this quilt.

Sweat Shirt Jacket.

2008-03-30T09:25:00.000-07:00

6 months later

2008-03-12T17:18:00.001-07:00

I am a little behind with my blog. Kind of busy here. In October my boss was let go. A little happy dance for me. She was not the easiest person to get along with. Well since she is gone I am now doing my job and almost all of her duties. Talk about stress!!Most days I don't have time for lunch. I am working longer hours. (yes, overtime pay!!!)
I went to the doctors for my 6 month post kidney removal. Well could you guess? I now have high blood pressure. I think it is just the stress of work and the aggravation of a poor salary increase. I will be checking it from now on.
Yes six month ago February 29th was our operations. My husband is doing super. He is now working again. He did not wish to return to his old job. It had long hours and a lot of driving. On call duty and some weekend hours. The money was great, but his health is more important.
His new job is only about 10 miles from home. Steady hours.
His train set up is getting better. although with him working now, he does not spend as much time in the basement as he did a month ago. He is doing some painting of buildings and laying the last of track. Well, maybe there will be more.
I went to a nice quilt show on the 28th and took a class on quilted sweat shirts. I will post a photo later. I went with my much younger sister. She is in Christmas 2007 photo. I need to mention she is much younger because she made the announcement at the class that I was her much older sister. Oh and she is also a brat!

We had Snow 2/22/2008

2008-02-24T08:27:00.000-08:00

Well we woke up to a little snow on Friday. The ground was covered and it was coming down pretty good at 6am. I showered and got ready for work. Now, my company almost never closes. But I called our hot line and was surprised to here a recording stating we had a 10am opening. That was a surprise. But the best surprise was when the building manager called me to say that we were closing for the whole day!!!
Happy dance time......

View from my kitchen window. 32 degrees out side.
My car was covered with snow. There was about 4 inches. Not much really. I have driven in worst.

A few quilt tops that I had been working on

2008-02-17T10:05:00.000-08:00

Well, I have been working on these quilt tops for some time now. The top one is made of 12 inch theme blocks and 6 inch 9 patch blocks. The next one is made up of all 6 inch blocks. All the blocks came from different block swaps. I now need to work on the backs and boarders. Then I will be sending them off to be long arm. I hope to have them totaly complete by the summer.

Cleaning out my sewing area

2008-01-27T16:53:00.000-08:00

(both items have been taken - sorry ladies)

I was cleaning out my sewing room and found a number of items that I no longer want or need. I will trade each group (as shown in photo) for quilt fabric and or patterns, clothes or quilt.

Cross stitch patterns

Scrap booking items/supplies

What my basement is turning into.

2008-01-14T16:25:00.000-08:00

Now I told you earlier about my husband building his HO train layout. As he builds he is taking over more and more of our basement. Here are a few updated photos.

This is a two levels set up. The track under the plywood will not be seen. I guess they are mostly for turning or something.

He has a lot of "cars" and engines. Two bridges and a dozen or so building. Bridges and buildings need to be built still. Right now he is still working on laying the rest of the track and putting in the switches. Below is a "round house" It is for servicing the engines. Norfolk-Southern is the line is he mimicking. He can go on and on about each engine and each building he will be building. Its like a real train. Oh well, it keeps him out of trouble most of the time.

Christmas 2007

2008-01-14T16:17:00.000-08:00

Christmas this year, 2007, was at my younger sister Eileen's house. This is one of the few times we all get together. Every year we take turns. Barbara will have 2008 and will get 2009.

(top starting on the left: Jeff, My daughter Jennifer, brother in law John, Brian, Eileen. Bottom left: Barbara, Howie, and me.)

Back to Quilt Top

2008-01-13T17:31:00.000-08:00

I finished the quilt backing. Again I used 12 inch blocks. I tryed to use winter blue colors. I also had some pink ribbon fabric.

In case you are wondering, this is my kitchen floor. Dishwasher on the left and fridg on the right.

What I did on New Years Day

2008-01-01T18:06:00.000-08:00

These are 12 inch blocks with a 7 1/2 inch boarder

Secret Santa Gift From Autumn

2007-12-20T18:44:00.000-08:00

Here are my gifts that my "BWB Secret Santa" made for me. The Angel ornament is aptly named "Mended Wings". I think it is beautiful. It was the most thoughtful gift I could have gotten. I just love it. Also this lovely heart pin cushion with detailed needle work. Thank you very much Autumn.

"Its beginning to look a lot like christmas"....

2007-12-09T16:26:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas tree is up!! At 7.5 feet! Wow.

Our outside lights are up too.

Now all we need is a little snow!

Thanksgiving 2007

2007-11-25T16:40:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving we went to my husbands brothers house. As we do with most trips to his house, we first picked up his mom and away we went. Its only a 35 minute ride.
It was nice seeing everyone again. We have not all gotten together since August. He has four kids ranging from 15 to 23? Two in collage and one in high school. The oldest is living in New York. They are all truly nice folks. If all works out everyone will be at my house on Christmas Eve. Christmas day will be at my sisters in Norther New Jersey.

The weather here is getting colder. Just two weeks ago it was close to 70 degrees. Today it was 40. The leaves are falling by the yards. The birds are looking for extra seed and bread. ( I always feed the birds our old bread)

We purchased a new Christmas tree. Yes its fake. 7 1/2 feet tall. Bigger then what I really wanted. Next weekend we will be setting it up along with the outside lights. That will be fun.

I will post photos as soon as everything is set up.

Winter Blocks

2007-11-04T14:51:00.000-08:00

Check it out! Here are most of my winter blocks for mjfg connection. I normally make all the same block but this time I mixed them up a little. I used all the same fabrics just in different places. I fussy cut the birds. Used green, red and a tan with gold.

Two Months and all is well

2007-11-02T18:27:00.000-07:00

Well it has been just over two months since our surgery. Jeff is doing great. My kidney is working and living just fine and happy in him. I was hoping he would start liking Chinese food but no luck. It is still pizza for Friday nights. Oh well. I am doing well too. If not for the scars on my abdoment I would never know that I underwent major surgery.

Right now Jeffs only problem is his legs. He has a lot of pain in the hips and knees. The clinic doctors are saying it could be the medications he is taking. Prograf, Cellcep and Prednisone, they are all anti rejection medications. They are apparently recking havoc on his joints and bones. he also now needs to take Oscal and Fosamax. A bone density test shows some deterioration in his one hip. (he is only 45)

Its a little ironic how one drug saves your life as at the same time it can make you feel miserable.

He is keeping very busy these day with his HO trains. He is building a new layout in the basement. Gosh it is humongous. Almost three full sheets of plywood in a "C" shape. But this keeps him busy. He can't work in the garage because it is getting too cold. Also, he has a hard time getting up off the ground. So no working on cars for him this winter. I just hope that his leg and hip issue resolves it self by spring. He so loves to ride his motorcycles. If his legs are not strong enough then there will be no motorcycle riding for him.

Well, that's it for now. I have a lot of quilt blocks to make for a number of swaps I am in. ASG meeting tomorrow morning. And next week I am going to see my sister. We are taking a quilting class. I think we mostly take the class as an excuse to see each other. We talk more then we sew.

Autumn Theme Block Swap w/mjfg

2007-10-07T15:12:00.000-07:00

Well here is the selection of blocks that I received from our recent swap. They are great. These will make a cozy quilt. I can't wait to see what the next swap might entail. Who made the blocks on the right hand side? There were no names attached.

RED WHITE and BLUE

2007-09-26T17:17:00.000-07:00

Check it out. I received these blocks in a swap I did with my many friends at mjfg connection. Now it is a work in progress. I am still machine quilting. We swapped 8 1/2 inch blocks. Red white and blue, as you can see. Without a border it is about 40 X 40. I will most likely add a 1 1/2 or 2 inch boarder to it. Some of the blocks were hand sewn. Some were hand embroidered. Some machine. There is a foundation pieced one. Oh, the watermellon has these cute seeds sewn on them. They are all unique. What do you think? These ladies do nice work.

Fall Theme Blocks

2007-09-16T18:46:00.001-07:00

Here are the 12 1/2 inch blocks I have made for mjfg connection swap. Something is wrong with the camara. The colores are messed up. They should be brown, orange and yellow. The darker block should be dark green with dark reds. I will have to re take this photo when I have some time.

What do you think?

Getting better with each day

2007-09-15T06:14:00.000-07:00

Its been a week or so since I last posted anything...
Jeff was released on Sunday the 2nd of September. He was never happier to get home!
We are both doing better now. Well I am almost back to normal. I have little or no pain. I can't lay in my stomach yet, but I am doing well. I drive and even went out to the fabric shop for two hours the other day. I will see the doc on Monday for my checkup. He will tell me when I can return to work.
Jeff is doing better too. They removed all the staples on Wednesday. He can now wear his jeans. He is in some pain still. His incision area is a little tender and bruised. His legs are the real problem. Now his joints are bothering him. He goes though bouts of real pain in the knees and hips. We were told that could be caused by some of his meds. I believe it is the Prednisone, one of the three anti-rejection medications he will be taking for the rest of his life. But they are slowly lowering his dose each week. He started off at 20mg twice a day and is now down to just 25mg once a day. Monday he is to start taking 20mg once a day. For the pain he can take an extra strength Tylenol or if it is real bad he takes an Oxycod or better known as Percocet. (they put me in la la land) I will stick to the Tylenol.
Yesterday was Jeff's first time driving since the 13Th of July. He dropped off the cycler equipment. That is a piece of his life he never wants to see again.
This first month Jeff needs to go to the clinic/hospital twice a week. I believe in October he will be going only once a week. And then every other week. They need to keep a close watch on his blood work and kidney function. So far everything is good. Lets just hope it stays that way for a long, long time.

Home and healing

2007-09-01T18:53:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday the 29th of August my husband and I left the house at 5:00am for the Hospital. My surgery started at 8:00am. I was told they took Jeff about an hour after me. I have to tell you that up till they rolled me in the the operating room I was ok. But once I saw all the equipment and large round lights it hit me. I was very nervous and scared. I almost started to cry. Two seconds later I was freezing cold and shaking in the recovery room. I don't remember any thing. One moment they say they are will give me something to relax and the next it is all over. I wake up with two things on my mind. How is my husband and can I see my daughter. In reality it was about two hours or more.
About 45 minutes after being in recovery I was in a regular hospital room.
Two or three hours after that I got up. And yes I was in pain. I needed to see Jeff. I hobbled down to his room to make sure he was ok.
I had to see that everything went well. And it did. He looked great. He looked healthy and glowing. I can not believe what a change it made just in his completion. My daughter took a sneak peek too. She said the same thing. He looked good. And he was awake too! I talked only a minute and hobbled back to bed. I was hooked up to an IV and a catheter. (yuck)
I came home on Friday the 31st. Very sore and stiff. Can't bend over. My stomach is bloated with the gas they used during the operation. Its mostly gone now. Jeff might be home on Sunday the 2nd of September or maybe the 3rd. He is doing well. He is having a little problem walking still. But that will get better.
Women were meant to give life. That is what our bodies were made for. Well I gave two. The first is a wonderful daughter. She might not always clean her room, but when mom needs help she is there. And the second is my husband. Without a new Kidney his life would have been shortened. I do not know what I would do if I ever lost either of them.

Where in the world is my sewing machine??

2007-08-26T14:56:00.000-07:00

Well its Sunday. In three days we will be having surgery. Hmmmmm.......I'm not too worried about myself. although they told me last week that I will be in a lot of pain. Yuck! I am not happy about that . But they are only removing my kidney, its Jeff that worries me. I pray that everything is perfect. I pray that the kidney takes and there are no problems. I pray there is no rejection . I pray that his legs get stronger. I pray for a quick recovery for him.

I will be in only for a few days. Jeff will be in for about a week. So what do you do when you and your husband are going in for surgery? Think about other things like "Where in the world is my sewing machine??" It was down her last week. I am going to have to clean this mess up when I am back on my feet.

Fun and Funky blocks

2007-08-16T18:18:00.000-07:00

One of the swap groups I am in is Seasonblockswap in Yahoo groups. In this group I am hosting a block swap. I call them Fun and Funky blocks.

Here is one of my Fun and Funky blocks. I love these blocks. They are so easy to make. Start with a 6 1/2 inch center. Then add two 2 inch boarders. Trim them up and you have a 12 1/2 inch block.

I will be using some 6 1/2 inch 9 patch blocks and a few 6 1/2 inch charms to make a large lap quilt. Or maybe I will make a full size quilt. We will just have to wait and see..

More about My Husband

2007-08-12T19:19:00.001-07:00

More about Jeff This is a compilations of notes I posted on MaryJaneFarmGirl connection. I will say it again, they are a great group a ladies.
Monday the July16th I went in for my final testing. EKG, X-rays to make sure my heart and lungs are normal. Oh and 24 hour urine sample. To see if my kidneys function normally. And of course one more set of blood work. They like to take 6 vials at a time. So far I have had an excellent phlebotomist. She does it in one stick. They do this to make sure our blood stays compatible. Also to make sure there are no antibodies killing each other off when they mix our blood. After that we wait a week or so for all the results. If they come back OK my next and final test will be an ultrasound or cat scan of my kidneys. That may actually be done the day of surgery. That will depend on the doctor and his staff. With the scan, the doctors will choose which one to use. I guess they will be looking for any thing that could get in the way of moving it. Extra blood vessel or fatty matters or anything like that.I am really not too stressed over the whole thing yet. I have it in my mind that I am a perfect match. That everything will go smoothly and He will be back to his normal self in no time......So for the good news… Monday the 16th as Jeff was with his doctor, I went in for some final donor tests. On 19th of July morning I got the phone call and I was told it was a go! I am a perfect donor candidate for my husband. I am so glad. I now have to have a physiological exam. To see if I am stable, mentally fit. (I am a little crazy, but ain't we all?) Then a cat scan or MRI of my kidneys so they can see which one they want. They will take the better of the two. This test was done on the 31st of July. If all goes well, and I pray it will, by September my husband could have a new kidney! We have to check the hospital surgical calendar. We have not told the families yet about me even being tested as a donor, except for my daughter. She wanted to be tested too but I asked her to wait to see about me first. As a mom you don’t want your child put to any harm. She is 22 and can do as she pleases, but she is a good kid and still listens to me, (most of the time) Jeff is not her biological father. But sometimes you can’t tell. She works side by side with him when she is having car trouble. He taught her to change a tire and even change the oil in her car. I think that’s great. She cries when we talk about his problems. She laughs when he tells a joke. She gives him father’s day cards. He is a great father to her.A date has been set. August 29th my husband and I will be gong in for surgery! Yeah! He is so happy. I am so happy too. I guess I should also say that we are so lucky too. Many people are not so lucky. Donation can take years and years. Finding the right person is not as easy as a family member. So family's can not donate to each other. Some people don't have family at all.Monday the 30th I go in for a cat scan. This is the final test. They will choose which kidney to use. I also need a psychological or mental test/review, to make sure I am stable. And I am sure they will want more blood.( I keep saying final test but they always seem to come up with just one more every time them call me.)......So a date has been set. Jeff and I go in on the 29th of August at 6am. My kidney will be removed and placed in him....Now is the time to truly pray...

News about my husband

2007-08-06T18:47:00.000-07:00

Early January 2007 my husband was feeling very tired, He had had a cold from November that just would not go away. He had his good days and bad days. He went to work. He did the normal thing of seeing his doctor and taking antibiotics. Then on February 3rd I went to my sisters early in the morning to take a quilt class with her. She lives about 80miles north of us. About 4pm I called home to let my husband know I was on my way back. He answered the phone from bed. I know he had a cold and was not feeling all that well. I asked him if he was in bed all day. And he said yes. Except to make a little breakfast and use the bathroom. He said he was just totally exhausted.On Monday February 5th I made him go to the doctor. They did the normal slew of blood work.I believe it was Wednesday February 7th 2007 my Husband was diagnosed with end stage renal failure (Kidney failure). He needs to go on dialysis. And here all along we thought it was just a bad cold or flu.On February 9th my Husband went to the hospital to have a plastic tube or catheter placed into his abdomen. This allows a sterile mixture of sugar and minerals (dextrose) to flow through the catheter into his abdomen or Peritoneal cavity. Waste and toxin that are normally filtered through your kidneys are drawn into the solution. The therapy he is on is called Continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis (CCPD) Hemo-Dialysis is more commonly known to people. That’s when they filter your blood. With Peritoneal Dialysis a machine automatically pumps dialysis solution into his peritoneal cavity and drains it several times during the night while he sleeps. He is attached to the machine for about 9 hours at night. Each fill is about the amount of a two litter bottle of soda. It can be very uncomfortable for him. He dwells for about an hour or so and them is drained. This is repeated 6 times during the night. Bottom line, he needs a new kidney. The waiting period can be any where from 5 to 7 years. The longer you are on dialysis the worst you get. He has to watch everything he eats. He is to have little or no potassium or sodium. But should eat high protein.He has only been on since March but his over all stamina is not so good. He is tired most of the time. His legs are very weak. Walking up stairs is becoming a chore. But he goes to work everyday. He does field service. He works on large pieces of equipment that keep large office building and hospitals running. Sometimes he is in a waste water treatment plant or a steal milling plant. Large plastic manufactures and corrugated box plants.He loves his old cars and motorcycles. But now when he gets down on the garage floor, he can almost not get back up. It is very sad. We only go on short bike rides mostly because I am afraid that when he come to a stop, he wont be able to hold the bike up. I have all I can do to lift my bike, there is no way I could lift his. Sometimes he tells me he wants to sell everything. All his toys as I call them. Then other days when he is feeling good he can’t wait for the weekend to work on the bikes or cars. He is restoring his pickup and has most of the sheet metal in the garage ready to go. For the most part my husband is in good spirits. I don't let him see me sad. So sometimes when I rush things its only because I dont know how much time I will realy have.I have been told that I am a prime candidate as a donor. I will be having a few more tests done next week. I had a number of viles of blood drawn already two weeks ago. Now these last tests will tell us if its a go or not. If I am physically able to donate. I am only 44, so I think I will be ok.I am also told that as a donor my body will experience less trauma then giving birth. I guess if I can have a 7 pound baby then a 2 ounce kidney will be a walk in the park. If the tests come back good, we will be setting a date for surgery. If they are not good, we will be looking for another kidney. They tell me if another couple is in need and we match each other, we can swap. I would give to that person and that person’s donor would give to my husband. There was a case just last year in Maryland where there was a set of 5 couples that swapped. Can you imagine?
I first told this to my friends at MaryJanesFarm Connection. What a wonderful group of ladies. Now I figured it was to time to share this with everyone.

Some of my completed quilts

2007-08-04T18:19:00.000-07:00

Above are some of my lap quilts.

My Blog is Up and Running

2007-08-03T12:41:00.000-07:00

Well this is my first ever blog.

The reason for my blog is to show everyone things what I am working on and or have finished.

In the days to come I am going to post a number of photos of my "stuff" and even a few family photos. (they are going to love that)